The annual finals system debate thread

[adamkungl]

Bulldogs, Roosters, Broncos and Melbourne will almost always have "home" games in weeks 2 and 3. Always have always will, deal with it. Alternative option is to purposely make Bulldogs play at the SFS or Roosters at ANZ, which is crowd suicide.

 

[IanG]

I was going to do a poll for this asking you all if we should keep the McIntyre system or if the NRL should revert to the AFL system. Which incidently was the system that was used when they first brought in the Top 8 back in 1995.

Also if the Warriors cause the upset of the season and knock the Storm off then they get the home final next weekend. Imagine their opponents only having 5-6 days notice having to go to New Zealand.

 

[adamkungl]

I was going to do a poll for this asking you all if we should keep the McIntyre system or if the NRL should revert to the AFL system. Which incidently was the system that was used when they first brought in the Top 8 back in 1995.

Also if the Warriors cause the upset of the season and knock the Storm off then they get the home final next weekend. Imagine their opponents only having 5-6 days notice having to go to New Zealand.

I would honestly have no issue with us having to play in NZ next week, other than the fact I wont get to go. A home city final seems a just reward for knocking of first place. The McIntyre system places your fate in your own hands, we lost on Friday, thus we wait on other results to see if and where we are playing. It gives top teams a good chance to get a massive advantage by winning in week 1, but from then on it doesnt matter where you finished, winning is all that matters. fair enough imo

 

[mepelthwack]

winning is all that matters. fair enough imo

Didn't seem to matter in 05 when Cowboys came 5th and had 50 put on them.

Not singling you out just making the point so many people are saying 'winning is all that matters' but as I showed with the McIntyre that is not necessarilly the case.

It needs to be replaced asap.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Didn't seem to matter in 05 when Cowboys came 5th and had 50 put on them.

Not singling you out just making the point so many people are saying 'winning is all that matters' but as I showed with the McIntyre that is not necessarilly the case.

It needs to be replaced asap.

Cowboys in 2005 had 50 put on them, and were lucky enough to stay in by the skin on their teeth (Cronulla almost beat the Saints in the 2v7 game, which would have seen the cowboys gone). With there 2nd chance they bounced back and beat the 6th placed team and the minor premiers. Not many teams could do that after being smashed the week before by 50, but it was a top effort by the Cows, and rightfully got a shot in the Grand Final.

 

[gong_eagle]

Sharks captain livid at McIntyre system
By Darren Walton
AAP
http://nrl.com/News/Latest/tabid/10244/default.aspx?id=52867


Cronulla captain Paul Gallen is filthy after being told the high-flying Sharks must play their opponents on enemy territory next week if Sunday's fourth and last NRL qualifying final goes to form.
Despite finishing equal first in the minor premiership and then trouncing Canberra 36-10 in their qualifying final on Saturday night, the Sharks face the prospect of being seriously disadvantaged in the second round of playoffs under the controversial McIntyre system.
Should minor premiers Melbourne account for the New Zealand Warriors at Olympic Park on Sunday afternoon, Cronulla would have to play the Sydney Roosters in next week's sudden-death semi-finals - and Gallen is of the belief such an encounter would be staged at the SFS.
"That's what I was told last night as I was going home," Gallen told 2KY radio on Sunday.
"I was told we will have to play the Sydney Roosters next Friday night at the (Sydney) Football Stadium.
"I don't think that's right at all. Brisbane finished fifth and they get to go and play at (home at) Suncorp Stadium. Go figure that out."
In fact, had the sixth-placed Raiders beaten the third-placed Sharks last night, they too would have clinched a home final in Canberra next week.
And should the eighth-placed Warriors upset the Storm, they would host the Roosters next Friday in New Zealand.
NRL rules, though, state that the winners of four qualifying finals will host the second-week semi-finals at "home city" venues - but not necessarily at individual clubs' home grounds.
Sydney's two designated venues are the SFS and ANZ Stadium and the league will decide after the Melbourne-Warriors match where next week's matches will be played.
NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley was at Toyota Stadium last night and said should a Cronulla-Roosters final materialise, it would be contested at a venue which offered "the best fit".
Annesley said the Sharks would have no say in the matter.
Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart was clearly unimpressed with the prospect of the Roosters - who finished lower than the Sharks in fourth place in the minor premiership and then lost their opening final 24-16 to Brisbane on Friday night - could host his side in a knockout clash.
"Whose decision is it?" Stuart said before vowing to discuss the issue with Sharks chief executive Tony Zappia, who will undoubtedly pursue the matter with the NRL.
Should the Warriors upstage the Storm, the Sharks would have next week off and advance straight to a preliminary final - against either Brisbane or Melbourne, who would clash on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium.
The vagaries of the McIntyre system dominated the lead-up to the opening weekend of finals, with fans flooding talkback radio with their concerns.
The issue continues to rage, with league legends Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley both raising doubts over the fairness of the format.

 

[BWNB]

It is a joke, if anything it should be played at ANZ. rather than the SFS.

 

[Angry_eel]

too bad, Parra had to play dogs at dogs homeground ANZ last year.

 

[Ausguy]

too bad, Parra had to play dogs at dogs homeground ANZ last year.

and i bet u were blowing up about it at the time??? so whats different ? or is it that parra arent involved so that makes it ok.

 

[Angry_eel]

and i bet u were blowing up about it at the time??? so whats different ? or is it that parra arent involved so that makes it ok.

No i wasn't. Its the rules of the game. We use two stadiums for finals, they are bound to be homegrounds of someone.

 

[Raider_69]

If shark park wasnt a complete f**king dive maybe the NRL would be ok to play a final there, but at its present state it's barely suitable for standard NRL games, let alone hosting finals.

Its IMO, easily in the top 2 worst grounds in the league, there is a bee's dick between it and brookvale

 

[bartman]

Funny, Shark Park and Brooky are the two grounds I've vowed never to bother going to again...

Leichhardt and Campbelltown are in much better nick imo.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart was clearly unimpressed with the prospect of the Roosters - who finished lower than the Sharks in fourth place in the minor premiership and then lost their opening final 24-16 to Brisbane on Friday night - could host his side in a knockout clash.
"Whose decision is it?" Stuart said before vowing to discuss the issue with Sharks chief executive Tony Zappia, who will undoubtedly pursue the matter with the NRL.

somebody has a short memory ... i bet he wasn't complaining about playing the dogs at the SFS in 2003 in the grand final qualifier ...

if cronulla fans travel then the so called hom advantage will be negated ... get to the game and it's dandy

 

[BWNB]

somebody has a short memory ... i bet he wasn't complaining about playing the dogs at the SFS in 2003 in the grand final qualifier ...

if cronulla fans travel then the so called hom advantage will be negated ... get to the game and it's dandy

Its not that, The sharks are yet to play there this year, it wouldn't be to bad if it was at ANZ because they have played there several times this year, if ANZ isn't book Sharks should be able to choose what ground they wanna play at.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Its not that, The sharks are yet to play there this year, it wouldn't be to bad if it was at ANZ because they have played there several times this year, if ANZ isn't book Sharks should be able to choose what ground they wanna play at.

if it's not that then what is it? ... because you haven't played there? ... no dice ... why should the sharks book it just because you won? .. you're whinging and preparing an excuse if you lose based on "they had more supporters at the ground thus home ground advantage" ... our season ticket holders don't get their seats and it won't be set up like a regular season game ... we won't have our ground announcer to rev up our fans all it'll be is the stadium ... and you know your supporters won't travel to the SFS so the excuse is locked in ... play it ANZ and they still won't travel that far ...

this has been happening for a decade yet it's an issue now? ... it doesn't matter though play it at suncorp it doesn't matter you won't get us twice in a season ...

 

[Craigshark]

If shark park wasnt a complete f**king dive maybe the NRL would be ok to play a final there, but at its present state it's barely suitable for standard NRL games, let alone hosting finals.

Its IMO, easily in the top 2 worst grounds in the league, there is a bee's dick between it and brookvale

Really?
What do you suggest is so terrible about Toyota Stadium?

 

[hybrid_tiger]

What do you suggest is so terrible about Toyota Stadium?

It's in the shire.

 

[Raider_69]

Really?
What do you suggest is so terrible about Toyota Stadium?

The view is sh*t, regardless of where you are
the facilities are piss poor, the location is diabolical, an atmosphere is nigh on impossible to create, it's capacity cant be much more then 20k and thats stretching it imo. There is no coverage from the elements in case of bad weather
Its just not a fitting venue for finals football.

The only redeeming quaility of shark park is the kebab stand of which im a massive fan of

 

[Big_Bad_Shark_Fan]

This was deliberatley designed to disadvantage Cronulla which is unfair.

Its an absolute joke.

 

[_Johnsy]

cronulla, whinge fuggiong whinge, if you are good enough you will be there on GF day.